Next-Gen VW GTI Could Make Up to 300 HP

The current Volkswagen Golf GTI has been on sale for a good amount of time, but it remains one of the best and well-rounded vehicles on the market at any price. Sure, it only has 228 horsepower, but if you really find yourself wanting more oomph, you can always spring for the 288-hp Golf R. Either that, or wait for the next-gen MkVIII Volkswagen GTI, which may be available with even more power than today’s R.

According to Germany’s Autobild, the next-gen Golf GTI will offer a power-boosting option that will bump output to around 300 horses from the next-gen base car’s estimated 245. Autobild‘s sourcing is nonexistent, so there’s no way to tell how much truth there is to this report. But it is interesting, to say the least.

There’s also no denying that the hot hatch market has changed a lot since the MkVII model was introduced. Not only has Honda begun selling the 305-hp Civic Type R in the U.S., Hyundai recently introduced the value-priced Veloster N, which makes 275 hp with the performance package, and there is also the 268-hp Subaru WRX. All of these cars come in at different price points and with different amounts of standard equipment, but it make senses for Volkswagen to offer the next-gen GTI with quite a bit more power in the context of its competitive set. Whether or not this means they’ll offer an even more muscular R—the better to battle both the Civic Si and Type R—or if this spells the demise of the R for now isn’t yet clear. We shouldn’t have to wait long to find out more, as the Mark VIII GTI should be unveiled soon.